Station Stop
by Kiba Sniper
Summary: "Jarring" was the understatement of the century. As a young heroine herself, Raven was rather surprised when she happened to catch eyes with her. It was as if divine intervention struck through her life and forced their eyes to meet, leading to a still silence between the two young women.


(This was originally part of a Secret Santa on tumblr, but since my partner never got back to me or acknowledged they received this, I decided to share it on here.)

Teen Titans © DC Comics, Cartoon Network

Station Stop

"Jarring" was the understatement of the century. As a young heroine herself, Raven was rather surprised when she happened to catch eyes with her. It was as if divine intervention struck through her life and forced their eyes to meet, leading to a still silence between the two young women.

Raven had decided to take the tube transport system, a recently invented way to get around the outskirts of Jump City without her bumping into the press every few minutes and avoiding traffic. A Titan attending high school was bound to garner some unwanted paparazzi attention, and Raven personally found them as vultures digging into prey. Unfortunately, she had been spending too much time in her high school's library, reading up the ancient, fictional grimoires and missed her train, and she was forced to wait on the platform for the next arrival. While she could have just flown home, Raven was far more content sitting down and calmly reading the novel she borrowed from the library.

Minutes passed with Raven occasionally checking the time on her communicator. So far, the train was late. That was all right. More time to read without being bugged by her friends to join them in an inane activity when she simply wanted to enjoy her novel.

As Raven flipped a page, her hand twitched. Her muscles jolted, sending shivers along her arms and nearly dropped her book. Collecting herself, Raven's head shot up, quickly taking a sweep of the platform she was on. Something felt amiss, but familiar. A sense of awareness washed over her mind, but it was different from sensing the presence of Starfire or Beast Boy. Instead, this presence brought a general sense of unease to her nerves, something she had not felt in what felt like forever.

Raven hummed, musing to herself over what it could be. No villains were clearly attacking. Maybe it was a fellow Titan? No, she would be able to spot any of them in a millisecond. Raven stood, placing her novel back into her beige bookbag when she glanced over her shoulder towards a group of students from another high school standing near the edge platform.

And this is where "jarring" came in. Amidst the jolly gaggle of spirited students stood one that continued to gaze at her with wide, frightened, sky blue eyes. She wore the Murakami High School uniform with straight, blonde hair that reached her shoulder blades and a simple backpack. Raven remained silent as their eyes remained locked in a dumbfounded contest of who would look away first.

They both did when the train arrived, but Raven was swift. Dressed to blend in with society in a dark violet sweater and borrowed black jeans, Raven slid towards the group as the girl bumped into her friends, nervously laughing with them. Snatching her shoulder, Raven noted the girl's shocked, tight-lipped expression and uttered a single word.

"Terra."

Not a question, not an accusation. It was just a single word, a former name of the one that betrayed and saved the Titans.

The girl's eyes widened as her friends and other busybodies hopped onto the train. From Raven, she knew she could not escape. If only she had not been so absorbed in that Geometry test! She felt she should have just retaken it on a later date. She may have not have been ready for it later, but seeing Raven again, her throat suddenly closed with her heart beginning to pound rapidly in her chest. There was no chance of escaping when it was Raven, of all Titans, Raven. With a quick step backwards into one of her friends, she turned to them as Raven silently watched.

"Hey, um, I'm gonna get a drink," she hastily said.

"But the train's here, Tara. You'll miss it," the ginger-haired girl replied, raising a confused brow when she glanced over to Raven.

"Oh, I'll make the next one. I'm just really, really thirsty. Go on without me, and I'll give you a call in a few minutes to let you know if I made the next train."

"If you say so. If you don't make it, I'll have my mom come around with me to pick you up."

As the train departed, Tara looked over to Raven, stating, "I'm getting a drink. Would you like one?"

Nodding, Raven wordlessly followed her towards a vending machine. Tara placed her coins in, pressed for two waters, and collected them. Raven accepted hers with a thankful nod, keeping it poised in her left hand. Uncapping her water, Tara swigged it, gulping down a heavy amount of the liquid and sighed. Finally meeting Raven's inquisitive, reprimanding stare, Tara sheepishly adjusted her backpack's straps and shuffled her black, school-approved shoes.

"I know you're Terra, so don't pull any confused act with me. Beast Boy told me how he met a girl that looked just like Terra, but she claimed she didn't know him no matter how he tried. That girl was you, wasn't it, Terra?"

Sitting on a nearby bench with Raven in tow, Tara closed her eyes. There was no way to outwit Raven. Raven was the most intelligent woman she knew. She could read into anyone with her empathic powers. Any lie would be exposed, but Tara already knew that. Straightening herself, she gave a simple nod.

"Why did you lie to Beast Boy? He's missed you terribly, and when you pulled that stunt-"

"I didn't mean to hurt him," Tara quickly interjected.

"Then explain. What was the reason you put on that act?"

Tara let her mouth close, tightening into a thin line as Raven folded her hands on her lap. Looking at Raven, she recalled those serene memories she spent with her, Beast Boy, and the Titans. Defeating various villains, hanging out at their regular place, shopping with Starfire and a reluctant Raven, and playing all-out four-player racing games with the boys. They truly became her family and her world even if she was hiding a large skeleton in her closet by working behind the scenes with Slade. She knew she had harmed them in the most severe way possible. Tara stole their trust and crushed them into the earth, and she feared herself for what insanity she helped stir with Slade. By saving them, with them giving her that precious second chance, "Terra" saved everyone at the cost of her life.

"You want the truth? I'll give it to you. I hurt you guys. By joining Slade, I nearly killed you all, especially Beast Boy. He didn't deserve what happened to him, what I caused. What I did was selfish. I should have went with you all in the very beginning, but I was weak and stupid and listened to Slade. I don't want to hurt Beast Boy or you guys anymore." Sighing, Tara took another sip of water. "I told him to forget about that girl, 'Terra,' because it will only cause him even more unnecessary pain. It'd be better for both of us to move on and grow up a little."

Raven silently took in her words, gripping her water bottle tightly. "Terra-"

"Tara. Please, call me Tara. I'm not that person anymore."

"…Tara, okay."

She smiled for the first time in their conversation, straightening her school uniform's tie. "Is everything all right with the others?"

"We've added a lot of Honorary Titans since you were gone. There's now a Titans East that you might know of. Cyborg's still Cyborg, and Robin and Starfire are together."

"Whoa! Like a couple? Good for them!"

A tiny grin had to cross Raven's face as Tara raised her fists excitedly, readily appearing to utter a shriek of glee at any moment. "It happened a few weeks ago in Tokyo."

"Tokyo? Rad!"

"As for Beast Boy, he's doing all right. He's still the same, old Beast Boy. He also saved a lot of us from the Brotherhood of Evil."

Tara grinned. "Good for him. He sounds like he's grown up a little."

Rolling her eyes, Raven brought her forefinger and thumb closely together. "Just a smidgen."

"Hey, Raven? I also have something else to say. See, that's just the thing. Beast Boy's moving on, but when he saw me, he went back to square one. He's matured, and I don't want to bring him down again. What I did to him, well, it was unforgivable, but he and you all forgave me, and for that, I really do have to be grateful. I'm so thankful that I met all of you. Because of you guys, I managed to learn how to be a hero, a Titan. It was great. I had a family, a family that I almost ripped apart, and I am so sorry for what I did."

"We all forgave you." Placing her hand on Tara's quivering shoulder, Raven leaned close, earnest in her gaze. "None of us hold any grudge to you, Tara. You can still be a Titan. We'd all welcome you-"

"I can't." Gently brushing Raven's hand off, she added, "There was a place for me back then, and if I hadn't been so blind, I'd still have the spot. Now, things have changed. The Titans have grown, and so have I. There has to be a time for everyone to move on, and Raven, and I think Beast Boy has finally learned that. I'm happy with who I am now, and I wouldn't be this way if I never met you guys. Of course, I still…" Tara raised her hand, causing a few stray pebbles to slowly hover off the ground. "…have my power. There aren't as strong as before, but I don't think I'll be going back in the superhero business. I need to be Tara Markov now, not Terra."

Raven's eyes had gone wide as she spoke, almost uncomprehending for a moment. She had already made up her mind, choosing to live a life that would benefit her and allowing others to mature because of mutual mistakes. Sitting before was someone who had realized her sin and changed for the better, wanting for her friends to move on as well.

"Is that what you want?" Raven questioned softly.

"Right now, yeah. I mean, I will miss you guys and the Titans' lifestyle, but I think this is for the best."

"Do you have a phone number?"

"Huh?" Tara reached into her skirt pocket, removing an old flip-phone. "It's kinda old."

Raven took it, pressing a few digits and handed it back. "That's my private number if you ever need to talk or reconsider."

"Raven, I just said-"

"I know, and I understand. This is probably a better, peaceful life for you, and Tara, I'm not angry with you at all anymore. I'm also sorry we didn't really get to spend as much time together and or being abrupt just now." Raven removed a small phone from her pocket. "So…can Rachel Roth have your number?"

Tara hesitated for a brief moment before smiling and taking the phone, inserting her number. "I'm guessing Rachel is the name you took to go to school?"

"How'd you know I went to school?"

"I could just tell. In any case, Tara and Rachel can be friends, of course, but only if you promise me something." As the next train rolled into the station, Tara stood up and handed the phone back. "Look out for Beast Boy for me, okay? Also, please don't tell him that you have my number. I want him to be happy and to be able to move on for the both of us."

Raven nodded. "I promise. He'll be fine."

"Thanks, Rav-oops, Rachel."

"Bye, Tara."

Watching Tara collect her things and wave, Raven stood up. Tara hopped onto the train and perched herself by a window. She gave another slow wave as the train began moving, and Raven waved after her friend off. Finally uncapping her water, Raven waited until the train was a mere speck in the distance before deciding to walk home with a small, peaceful grin on her face.


End file.
